sHE'S brOKen

Ace Lockwood

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I walk into Ava's room holding my football and sit the chair placed in the sorbet of her room. She's very invested in some Netflix show called "sHE'S brOKen" or something like that. I tap her foot and ask, "You wanna take a walk? Mom and dad aren't home yet. Nina also went home for the night. We could head to the store and get stuff to make fried Oreos or whatever." She hums a response and puts her crocs on. She grabs a hoodie and hears her phone vibrate. She giggles and types quickly to whoever she was talking to. She makes her way over to me and I block her in the doorframe. "Leave your phone," She rolls her eyes and throws it on her bed.

We begin to walk down the street and she starts a conversation. "Ace be honest with me, do you really love Cylyss?" I furrow my eyebrows, "What makes you ask that?" She huffs, "That didn't answer my question." I contemplate a little, "I love her but I'm starting to get the idea that she doesn't. I'm not sure if I should just breakup with her or if we should have a talk and see whether or not her hearts in it. The same person that I fell in love with is not the same person that's with me right now." She puts a hand on my arm and sighs.

"Big bro, I love you but I also know that this relationship lowkey isn't worth it. I think you love the idea of love and you're forcing a relationship with Cylyss because you don't want to be alone. I don't doubt that you love Cylyss but you need to realize the other people around you that love you too. You're never alone Ace. You have friends and family." I hate that she's right. I had to change the subject, otherwise I'd begin to overthink.

I exhale, "How are your grades? If you need help with anyth- ," She cuts me off, "Ugh! Will you stop treating me like a baby? My grades are fine, Mr. Perfect. I've talked to the Dean and he says I'll be able to take the 11th grade classes over the summer if I want to graduate with you." I'm proud of her. She may not think I am and I know she'll take it for pity but I am. She's taking control of her life.

She speaks again, "I know last year my partying and drinking really hurt the family. I was skipping class to smoke weed everyday. I'm sorry I put you all through a lot of stress. After Kianna died and Angelina put my boyfriend in jail, my life went to shit. I found a drug dealer that was willing to give me anything I needed. I stole money out of dad's wallet and would buy all my fixes. I would party with the lowlifes at school. You warned me not to and I did it anyway. I didn't feel like you cared about me. Everything was great for you and terrible for me. Then Angelina posted that video of me getting completely wasted and told rumors about me. All our classmates would call me an alcoholic and ask if I could sell them some dope. I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed some vodka, whiskey, bourbon, tequila and mixed it with all the pills I had in my room. I was planning on ending it. Mom walked in and witnessed my overdose. I could hear her screaming and my vision going blurry. 'CALL THE POLICE!' I woke up in the hospital. Mom crying, flowers, and cards around. An IV stuck in my arm and the faint beeping of the machine. She suggested rehab was what I needed and she cried harder. I went for the last 4 months of school talking to counselors and going rehab groups that tried to talk to me about my feelings. I went through therapists every month. Dad couldn't face the fact that he created a disappoint is a daughter. He wouldn't even claim me when people asked. 'I don't know who that girl is. Must be one of the charity kids' he would say. Our parents hated me and I can't have you hate me too. I'm clean now Ace, I promise you I'm clean! Stop asking. I'll try to talk to you more but don't doubt me. I won't do it again."

She was crying now and I pulled her into a hug. She continued to sob into my sweatshirt and I rubbed her back in soft circles. "I would never act like I don't know you, okay? To be fair we were born together, so getting rid of you is impossible." She giggles through her tears and shoved me off her. "Okay stop being a little bitch." I laugh and push her back. We play fight the rest of the way there.

We reached Walmart and Ava climbed into a cart. We get to the frozen treats aisle and look through the ice cream options. A debate between chocolate and cookie dough broke out between us. Eventually we settled on cookies and cream. I pick out two tubs to put in the cart. I get pizza rolls, fish sticks, fries, Oreos, pancake mix and make my way to the aisles with chips, Nutella and other snacks.

"When we get home I'm forcing you to watch sHE'S brOKen with me. It's good and you're hating on it for no reason." I'm not a hater, it's just that the character trying to steal the other dudes girl rubs me the wrong way. Don't get me wrong the girl is bad too but the guy needs to step off. I start grabbing chips for us to eat tonight and felt someone tap my shoulder. I turn to see a girl in a purple beanie and blacked  out sunglasses. She wore a purple oversized hoodie and black sweatpants. "Can you grab that jar of Nutella please?" I grabbed the jar on the top shelf and handed it to her. Our fingertips touch and her pastel purple acrylics graze my palm.

She smiles and turns away. A piece of paper fell out of her backpack. I picked it up and read Ravenwood High Application printed on the top. The rest of it isn't filled out except the previous school section. Primlace High, another private school that was rivals with Ravenwood. I jog after her and hand her the application. "You dropped this back there." She glanced at the paper and smiles, "Oh my gosh thank you I'm such a trainwreck. Can you put that back in my bag and zip it." She turns and I place the page back, zipping her bag up. This girl is really has a purple obsession, it's adorable.

"Thank you," she began to walk away. I grab her arm gently, "I didn't catch your name," She giggles, "I never threw it," and she disappears in a different aisle. I walk back over to Ava and see her grabbing more items we definitely don't need. She didn't notice me until I startled her, "Put it back." She rolls her eyes and reluctantly puts everything back. We walk up to the register and the lady begins to scan my items. "You have nice eyes," the cashier compliments. I smile at her, "Thank you," I continued to put items on the conveyor belt and she blushes looking at her screen. Ava rolls her eyes and walks away from us looking at the magazine stand. "Would you like to use our rewards card for 15% off your purchase." I shake my head and pay with my debit card. She hands me my receipt and I leave with our items.

When we got home I turn the heat on and see that our parents still aren't home. Ava runs to her room and comes back with her phone. "Oh my baby, how I missed you," she kisses her phone dramatically and cradles it. She gives me the side eye whispering to her phone, "I'll never let the mean man separate us again." I roll my eyes, "Can you work on the pancake mix while I get the oil heated."

Making fried Oreos was our favorite way to bond when our parents worked really late. "How do you honestly feel about getting held back," She sighs, "Didn't you ask me this already?" I open the Oreos, "Come on Ava talk to me, please? You promised." She sighs, "It's fine because no one knows I was held back, but it also sucks because my old friends don't see me much and have started to ask too many questions."

We talk a bit more and begin to fry the Oreos. I turn to check on the oil and Ava asks me to turn around. I'm met with a full face of pancake mix. "You're dead. I encourage you to run." She screams and throws more at me. I grab a few Oreos to throw back and defend myself.

After all the fun we had destroying the kitchen and eating the nice desserts, we hear the door click. "Athena she's my assistant! Get rid of the jealousy and grow up!" Mom scoffs hanging her coat on the hanger. "Yes because every wife wants to find their husband bending their secretary over the desk and screwing her brains out. Go to hell!" Ava and I look at each other tears start to form in her eyes. They would fight constantly when we were younger and I guess the PTSD stuck. "She doesn't mean anything Athena-," Mom cuts him off, "Fuck off Andre or better yet go fuck her."

Ava and I make our way up the stairs slowly. We see Dad grab mom's shoulders and gently pin her against the wall, "Andre get off me." He looks at her sincerely, but knowing him he'll apologize and go back to having an affair with another woman from the office. "Athena, please? I'll do anything you want. Give you anything. Please? I love you. My actions don't show it but I do. I'm sorry." She softens every time under his gaze. He always wins. "I want that whore fired. If she's there tomorrow and she's not packing her shit, Andre I'm going to go to jail." They kiss and it's over. He constantly screws her over.

Ava sneaks into her room and I sneak into mine. "Who the hell fucked up my kitchen?!" I hear mom yell from downstairs.

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